Avionics
FDS wins its first STC for $100K Ellipse TV system
Flight Display Systems of Alpharetta, Ga., last month won a long-anticipated FAA STC for Ellipse TV, a product that takes a commercial-off-the-shelf satell

Flight Display Systems of Alpharetta, Ga., last month won a long-anticipated FAA STC for Ellipse TV, a product that takes a commercial-off-the-shelf satellite television antenna normally found atop SUVs, mobile homes and yachts and makes it available for installation on business jets.

Considering that competing satellite TV systems for aircraft can cost as much as $400,000 for the antenna and receiver system alone, the published price of $99,650 for Ellipse TV’s KVH Industries antenna and associated hardware is a comparative bargain. An additional $50,000 covers the cost of installing the antenna, receivers and cabin display monitors, which Flight Display Systems estimates will take around 80 to 100 man hours. Because of the way it’s mounted, the antenna can fit virtually any business airplane, the company claims.